Two online attempts to mount a defense fund for the suspect in the rape and murder of a Queens jogger were unfairly scuttled by the host sites, his family charged Tuesday.
Supporters of Chanel Lewis, busted earlier this month in the Aug. 2 murder of Karina Vetrano, claim the fund-raising roadblocks wrongly targeted the accused killer.
"We want justice for the Vetrano family, but also due process and fairness for Chanel," said Chris Banks, a community advocate and supporter of Lewis' family.
Fund-raising efforts launched on Fundly and GoFundMe sites since Lewis' Feb. 4 arrest were taken down shortly after going up, according to supporters at a Queens news conference.
Karina Vetrano
(Instagram)
"It's very confusing," said Fashion Scott-Jones, 22, a classmate of Lewis. "I feel like lies are going around ... until everything is shown to me, I will support Channel Lewis because I know his character."
GoFundMe spokesman Bobby Whithorne said the Lewis page violated their terms of service which specifically ban fund-raising "the defense or support of anyone alleged to be involved in criminal activity."
At Fundly, one of the customer support workers confirmed the page was "temporarily" closed down after they received a large number of complaints about Lewis.
Lewis' classmates Jamel Reed, 18 (l.) and Vashon Scott-Jones, 22, vouch his character Tuesday outside Queens Borough Hall.
(Byron Smith/for New York Daily News)
"They were passed on to our security team," she said. "We're still working on it."
Donors to GoFundMe received their $800 in donations back, while the suspended Fundly account holds $1,700.
"He hasn't even been indicted yet," said Banks. "To have a fund to support the family is important. We want fairness across the board."
National Action Network's Rev. Kevin McCall (from l.) escorts Richard Lewis, the father of Chanel Lewis, out of a courtroom after his son's hearing Feb. 21 at Queens Criminal Court in Queens.
(Byron Smith/for New York Daily News)
The Vetrano family raised a nearly $290,000 reward to capture the killer via GoFundMe.
And George Zimmerman, who was acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin, successfully raised over $300,000 for his defense fund through a Kickstarter campaign.
The news conference followed a scheduled hearing where attorneys agreed to adjourn the case until April 3. The suspect was not in court, while the victim's parents attended and left without speaking to reporters.
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